WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a letter to Members of Congress, more than 150 trade associations, businesses, and local chambers of commerce endorsed Senator Susan Collins' (R-ME) legislation to prohibit federal agencies from collecting or using information about political contributions made by small, family-owned businesses or larger companies that wish to do business with the federal government. The "Keeping Politics Out of Federal Contracting Act of 2011" reaffirms the fundamental principle that federal contracts should be awarded free from political considerations and be based on the best value to the taxpayers.

Senator Collins is the Ranking Republican on the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs which oversees federal contracting.

The letter -- from the large and diverse group partnering with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce -- read in part, "the legislation would help ensure that political spending-or the lack thereof-continues to play no role in federal contracting decisions. The legislation reaffirms the principle, currently embodied in federal procurement laws, that the Executive Branch has an obligation to procure goods and services based on the best value for the American taxpayer, and not on political considerations. It also reaffirms the principle that the Administration cannot enact through executive fiat legislation that Congress has considered and explicitly rejected."

On April 26, Senator Collins and 26 colleagues sent a letter to the White House critical of the policy that would require information about political contributions to be a part of every federal contract offer. The letter emphasizes that taxpayers should receive the best value for federal contracts, and thus government procurements must be conducted in a manner that ensures a fair process, free from politics. The Senators have not received a response to the letter.

The complete text of the letter of support and list of signatories is below.

June 6, 2011

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS:

The undersigned organizations strongly support the "Keeping Politics Out of Federal Contracting Act of 2011," which is sponsored by Sen. Collins in the Senate and Rep. Issa in the House, and urge you to cosponsor this important legislation. "Keeping Politics Out of Federal Contracting Act of 2011," offered in response to a draft
Executive Order under consideration by the Obama Administration, would preclude the White House from forcing federal agencies to require entities to disclose their political spending-as well as that of their officers and directors-as a condition of participating in the federal procurement process.

The legislation would help ensure that political spending-or the lack thereof-continues to play no role in federal contracting decisions. The legislation reaffirms the principle, currently embodied in federal procurement laws, that the Executive Branch has an obligation to procure goods and services based on the best value for the American taxpayer, and not on political considerations. It also reaffirms the principle that the Administration cannot enact through executive fiat legislation that Congress has considered and explicitly rejected.

The undersigned organizations congratulate Sen. Collins, Rep. Issa, and their original cosponsors for their leadership on this issue, and encourage you to cosponsor the "Keeping Politics Out of Federal Contracting Act of 2011."